The FIFA Women’s World Cup and seven major events in which Nigeria will seek glory

Although the failure of Nigerian sport to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is one of the most daunting events of the year, there is much to look forward to in 2023.

Beyond the General Elections, which seem to take center stage, the year 2023 has a lot ahead of it, from soccer to racetracks.

The Green and White of Nigeria will perform at various international events, of which PREMIUM TIMES has chosen seven.

Hopefully the country will not only make up the numbers at these events, but the athletes will have a measurable impact.

Another World Cup test for the Super Falcons

Date: July 20–August 20

Location: Australia and New Zealand

In this part of the world, there is a popular saying that goes: “What a man can do, a woman can do even better”.

Though not in their prime, the Falcons maintained their impressive qualifying record for all FIFA Women’s World Cups while the Super Eagles failed to make it to Qatar in 2022.

Australia and New Zealand will host the World Cup in 2023, following a historic event in France in 2019.

Expectations are high for a glorious celebration as the competition will feature 32 nations for the first time.

Although dethroning the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), which won the most recent tournament in France, may be asking a lot of the Super Falcons, matching their performance in the 1999 quarterfinals will be seen as a win for Randy Waldrum. and their women

Group B includes the Super Falcons, Australia, a co-host, plus Canada and Ireland.

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Amusan to defend his crown at the World Championships

Date: August 19 – August 27

Place: budapest, hungary

Millions of people will remember the bravery of the Nigerian team, particularly Tobi Amusan, from the most recent World Championships in Track and Field in Eugene, Oregon for years to come.

Unfortunately, Amusan will have to defend his title faster than usual because the 19th World Championships in Athletics are scheduled for August.

Amusan won gold in the hurdles event and also broke a world record in Oregon.

While ‘Tobi Express’ is definitely hungry for more titles and records, we look forward to seeing if he can do it in Hungary in a few months’ time.

For Ese Brume, he improved on the bronze medal won in Doha to give Nigeria a silver in Oregon. Will his golden moment arrive in Budapest? Upbeat Nigerian fans are already shouting a resounding YES!

Hopefully, the show in Budapest won’t just be for the ladies; but that Nigerian men will also rise to the occasion.

Nigerian team returns to Ghana for the African Games

Date: to be determined

Headquarters: Ghana (Kumasi, Cape Coast, Accra)

Nigeria has competed in every edition of the African Games (formerly the African Games) since its inception in 1965.

The country’s best outing was at home in the 2003 edition in Abuja.

It was the second time Nigeria had hosted the continental party, after Lagos in 1973. Now, 20 years after the historic triumph in Abuja, the Nigerian team will seek glory in Ghana.

We hope that the XIII African Games will be held in three cities in Ghana in 2023, on dates that have not yet been confirmed.

This will be the second time in history that the games will be decentralized in a process that began in the previous edition held in Morocco.

With over a thousand medals won over the years, the African Games have always been a good hunting ground for the Nigerian team.

A new era begins for the Golden Eaglets

U-17 AFCON/FIFA U-17 World Cup

Date: April 8 – April 30

Location: Algeria

Nduka Ugbade is on a mission to create a new group of youngsters who will grow up to rule the world of football. Having achieved legendary status as a player and manager by winning the FIFA U-17 trophy in both capacities, Ugbade is determined to reassert Nigeria’s position. once again influence this football team.

The signs are good as the Eaglets were crowned WAFU B champions last year in Cape Coast, Ghana. His next assignment is at the Africa tournament in Algeria.

The four best teams in the tournament will qualify for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru as CAF representatives. Cameroon is the defending champion, having won the 2019 edition and the cancellation of the 2021 edition.

U-20 AFCON/FIFA U-20 World Cup

Date: February 19 – March 11

place egypt

Like the Golden Eaglets, the Flying Eagles go into the Under-20 AFCON as regional kings, having won the WAFU B qualifiers last year.

Ladan Bosso and his team already have a lot of work ahead of them with a somewhat difficult group in which they face hosts Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique.

While winning an unprecedented eighth title will pay off for the Flying Eagles, the main goal will be to be one of four teams to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which takes place in Indonesia later this year.

FIBA Basketball World Cup

Date: August 25 – September 10

Location: Philippines, Japan and Indonesia

The FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup 2023 will be the 19th edition of the men’s basketball national teams. And after Nigeria was unable to appear on the women’s version, due to a self-imposed ban, many hope the D’Tigers will make it.

Unlike the last World Cup, when the D’Tigers were the first to qualify from the continent, it hasn’t been easy so far in the 2023 World Cup qualifying series.

While the 2023 tournament will be the second to feature 32 teams, it is the first time in its history that multiple nations will host the World Cup in Asia.

Commonwealth Youth Games 2023

Date: August 4 – 11

Location: Trinidad and Tobago

This will be the seventh edition of the Games, and will be the first to be held since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the ascension to the throne of King Charles III as Head of the Commonwealth and reigning monarch of the Commonwealth Realms on the 8th of September 2022. .

We have confirmed seven sports that Nigeria will participate in at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games. They are watersports, athletics, cycling, Fast5 netball, rugby sevens, triathlon and beach volleyball.

Only those between the ages of 14 and 18 qualify for the Commonwealth Youth Games.

CAF Women’s Champions League

The date and host of the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League have yet to be determined, but it is highly likely that it will take place in the last three months of 2023.

2023 will be the third edition after Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies of South Africa clinched the first edition with a 2-0 win over Hasaacas Ladies FC of Ghana in 2021.

ASFAR FC of Morocco won the 2022 (second edition) with a 4-0 win against Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies. Bayelsa Queens represented Nigeria in the last edition and finished a credible third place.